Unveiling The Causes Of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes or GDM is a type of diabetes that affects only pregnant women, typically during the second trimester of pregnancy. About 4 to 10 percent suffer from this condition, making it one of the most common concerns of expectant mothers. Gestational diabetes can indeed be hard to understand but to simply put it, it means that a person has unusually high levels of sugar in the blood, thus the term “high blood sugar”.

One of two conditions occurs in gestational diabetes. Possibly, there isn’t sufficient insulin in the blood or the body is not responding to insulin as necessary (also called “insulin resistance”). Insulin is a hormone that is vital in regulating carbohydrate (glucose) and fat metabolism in the body. It pushes the body to take up glucose (sugar) from the blood in order that the liver can store it as glycogen. Small amounts of insulin or insulin resistance both lead to the same thing – sugar is not taken up and thus accumulates in the blood.

It is also believed that certain pregnancy hormones place pregnant women at risk for developing such condition. Human Placental Lactogen, cortisol, estriol, and progesterone are pregnancy hormones that are thought to hinder insulin from doing its job. If the body becomes resistant to insulin, blood sugar levels rise. To compensate for such increase in the amount of glucose in the blood, the pancreas tries to produce more insulin. The pancreas has its limits though. If the pancreas cannot keep up with the increased demand for insulin, the sugar levels rise and gestational diabetes occurs.

Some other risk factors that can make women susceptible to GDM are: being overweight, family history of diabetes, previously giving birth to a big baby (usually 9 lbs or more in weight), having gestational diabetes with previous pregnancies and having too much amniotic fluid (termed as “polyhydramnios”).

Most people may find it hard to understand the causes of gestational diabetes. But keep in mind that as a mother, you can always do something to counteract the causes of gestational diabetes. Proper diet, exercise and regular prenatal check-ups are just some of the things you can do to make sure that you and your baby will have a healthy, stress-free, and fun-filled journey together.


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Understanding Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

For the majority of women, carrying a child is the greatest blessing one can ever experience. It is a joyous time for both expectant parents because it is a celebration of another life. Even though a lot of women go through discomforts while pregnant, these are quickly managed since most of these minor pains ease off typically right after the first trimester. Unluckily for a couple of women, pregnancy is considered a problematic time because of complications that need a whole lot of attention and consideration. And one particular common complication of pregnancy is gestational diabetes mellitus or GDM, also known as gestational diabetes in pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as glucose intolerance that affects pregnant women. It occurs in around 4 percent to 10 percent of women that are pregnant and often goes away after delivery. Women who are likely to suffer from GDM are the following: pregnant women who are obese, women who are 25 years and older, women who have history of GDM with previous pregnancies, history of giving birth to a big baby (usually 9 lbs. or more) and family history of type 2 diabetes.

The symptoms of gestational diabetes mellitus are usually ignored because they are confused with the normal discomforts of pregnancy. The most prevalent symptoms of gestational diabetes are: increased frequency of urination, increased thirst and increased hunger. However, there are tests available in order to know whether these symptoms are brought about by hormonal imbalances that normally occur during pregnancy or if these are already signs of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measures the response of insulin to glucose loading. This type of procedure is typically done during the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. This gestational diabetes test necessitates the pregnant woman to fast at least eight hours before heading to the lab. Later on, she will be requested to consume a sweetened liquid with 50- to 200-g of sugar. A small amount of blood sample will then be extracted at .25, 1, 2 and 3 hours intervals. Gestational diabetes mellitus is confirmed if the 2-hr value is 200 mg/dL or greater.

Being healthy is always a priority when one is pregnant. It’s worthwhile to have regular checkups so that your doctor can keep track of your condition and try everything that’s possible to help you and your little one become satisfied and healthy.


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Things You Should Know About Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is considered one of the most prevalent complications during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes symptoms are usually ignored because they are confused with the normal discomforts of pregnancy. Increased frequency of urination, increased thirst and increased hunger are some of the most prevalent gestational diabetes symptoms.

Polyuria is the term for repeated urination which is also a typical symptom of pregnancy. Usually, expectant mothers experience an increased desire to urinate due to the developing fetus pressing on the bladder. In women with gestational diabetes, however, the cause of this is different. Whenever there’s far too much sugar in the blood, the kidneys become saturated with sugar. This causes the osmotic pressure within the kidneys to rise resulting in poor reabsorption of water in the body, hence an increase in the amount of urine in the bladder. This increase in volume in turn results to a frequent need to go to the toilet.

Polyphagia or increased hunger is yet another common gestational diabetes symptom. But then again, food cravings are normal symptoms of pregnancy. These are caused by hormonal changes in a pregnant woman’s body. But then again, a person who has GDM experiences increased urge to eat for an entirely different reason. Inadequate amounts of insulin and insulin resistance both lead to a faster speed of energy spending. Since energy is utilized faster than usual, the person experiences an increased desire for food.

Another common gestational diabetes symptom is polydipsia or increased thirst. But then again, being thirsty all the time can be a normal symptom of pregnancy. A pregnant woman needs to drink plenty of fluids because of the extra 2 liters of blood that circulates in her body and the presence of amniotic fluid which replaces itself every 30 minutes. In pregnant women with GDM, however, the desire to drink constantly is caused by another mechanism. Due to the higher than normal levels of sugar, water is not reabsorbed in the body which results in recurrent urination. When the body eliminates fluid every so often, a message is sent to the brain to drink more in order to make up for the loss, thus the sensation of thirst.

Pregnancy is a time when a woman’s body experiences extreme changes. While a lot of these discomforts are common, a few are already symptoms of a health condition. That being said, it is essential to visit the doctor the moment these symptoms become prevalent. Knowing the causes of such discomforts may save you and your baby from medical conditions that you may otherwise not know about.


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Posted in: Diabetes,Gestational Diabetes